"What I meant to say was that women should take measures to protect themselves and be very careful not to place themselves or allow themselves to be placed in vulnerable positions that may compensate their safety. It's important that the public knows that my comments do not reflect my family's beliefs."

Krista Ford, niece of Toronto Mayor Rob Ford, drew anger on Wednesday night when she tweeted out some advice on how to prevent sexual assault.

“Stay alert, walk tall, carry mace, take self-defence classes & don’t dress like a whore. #DontBeAVictim #StreetSmart,” she tweeted at around 6 p.m. The message drew the attention of the Toronto Star and other media outlets. The tweet by councillor Doug Ford's daughter has since been deleted.

Her comments came the same night as a public briefing held by Toronto Police after a number of sexual assaults downtown. The Star points out that mace is actually a prohibited weapon.